24.January 2025

International Day of Education 2025: Celebrating the Power of Learning

Education is the cornerstone of progress and development, and on this International Day of Education 2025, we celebrate the transformative power of learning. At RED NOSES International, education is not just a value—it is the foundation upon which our healthcare clown artists build their capacity to bring joy and laughter to those in need. 

Since its foundation, RED NOSES International has been offering dedicated workshops to enhance the artistic quality and impact of our artists. Recognizing the unique environment of healthcare settings, we established the RED NOSES International Curriculum in 2015. This mandatory program equips our artists with not only artistic skills but also a deeper understanding of psychology, sociology, and communication, ensuring they are prepared for the profound and sensitive work they undertake.

© RED NOSES International - Nikolett Kőrösi

Evolving and Adapting: The Lifelong Journey of a Clown

“Clowns are actors and as such they evolve – their clown character should keep in touch with these developments. [...] they must adapt and stay sensitive to the changes and developments they undergo”. (Petr Jarčevský, Artistic Director RED NOSES Czech Republic) 

When starting to work as RED NOSES healthcare clown our artists discover their clown persona. They work on the clowns’ story, on habits, everything that is connected to this person. One can say that life makes it necessary to work also on the clown continuously. Experience does not mean there is nothing to learn anymore – there is always the possibility of a different perspective to discover, to freshen up rusty skills and knowledge.

“[...] as clowns play games (a special type of acting games), they have to keep in shape like sportspeople, their alertness, skill, reactions and technique [...], the healthcare environment also changes and clowns must understand these changes and be ready to adapt to them”. (Lukáš Houdek, Coach RED NOSES Czech Republic)

© RED NOSES International - Nikolett Kőrösi

Prepared for the unexpected

Due to the variety of our work, our artists encounter challenging situations daily. From adapting to limited spaces in hospital wards to providing solace in oncology and palliative care settings. They also work in crisis environments with displaced people and unaccompanied minors, requiring specialized training to overcome language and cultural barriers.  Through ongoing coaching and supervision, we ensure our clowns remain resilient and adaptable, bringing joy even in the most challenging circumstances. 

"I think that to be a clown in a healthcare system, it means that you always need to be ready [...] The clown as a figure can be very adaptive, but for that we need continuous education to be strong in every situation, to react with quality. The world is changing, and we need to change together with it". (Indrė Mickevičiūtė - Petrauskienė, Artistic Director RED NOSES Lithuania)

Through the basic education we established a common artistic language. Inviting external and internal experts in the various fields of (healthcare) clowning as well as professionals of the healthcare field like doctors or psychologists ensures us to have a diverse variety of expertise and knowledge and hence a high artistic standard. These standards ensure our artists do their work in the most sensitive and the most challenging circumstances.

“Awareness is certainly one of the main values of the clown. Clowns know […] because they are curious, and because they are in love with humanity, with the nature, and with everything that surrounds them. Clowns are free of judgment! They see and connect to the core of every human being, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual or religious orientation”. (Christophe Dumalin, Chief Artistic Director)

Adapting to a situation is an integral part of clowning in a healthcare setting. Even when artists are familiar with the staff or the environment, each new patient, staff change, or unexpected event creates a unique dynamic. Through continuous education and training, RED NOSES artists fine-tune their sensitivity to these changes, ensuring they can adapt their play, reactions, and presence before and during each visit.

© RED NOSES International - Nikolett Kőrösi

Building Relationsships: The Heart of Healthcare Clowning

Usually, our artists are working in duos, which makes the play easier as they have a “partner in crime”. Certain conditions, such as those in the Intensive Smile program—where artists accompany children into operating rooms—require solo work. In these instances, artists must adjust to a different rhythm, learning to balance presence with limited interaction. Workshops provide the tools to navigate these demanding situations with care and professionalism.

Depending on the programme our artists are working in, the education focusses also on the different aspects and needs of the audiences. Our clowns encounter diverse circumstances, from paediatric wards to rehabilitation centers, from palliative care to psychiatric units. They learn to understand and adapt to the physical and emotional conditions of patients and their families, recognizing the positive ripple effect their visits can have on relatives and caregivers.

“Healthcare clowning interventions can have a sociometrical aspect as well, clowns connect not only to audience, but they can connect people in the audience to each other as well. After the show not only atmosphere of the space changed but the connection between the people”. (Tünde Gelencsér, Artistic Director RED NOSES Hungary)

In elderly homes, artists face unique challenges, such as visual and hearing impairments or dementia. Training emphasizes slowing the tempo of play, making movements and speech more pronounced, and adapting to the body language of individuals with downward gazes. These adjustments ensure that every interaction is meaningful and accessible.

Our education program extends to crisis response, preparing artists to work with displaced people and unaccompanied minors both nationally and internationally. These settings demand a specialized artistic approach, often requiring clowns to overcome language barriers and cultural differences.

“The authenticity of playing and the clown character are key for the real emotional connection and impact, therefore the continuous work on it is needed. There are a lot of skills that must be trained continuously to be fresh with those. As it is art, the questions for which we are seeking answers or the reality we reflect on must be live, present and continuous”. (Tünde Gelencsér, Artistic Director RED NOSES Hungary)

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